# Puff Monthly Tobacco Review: Peter Stokkebye's Luxury Navy Flake



## Nick S. (Jul 10, 2011)

December is here; time to grab those bags of Luxury Navy Flake, your favorite pipe and enjoy several bowls of it. When you are ready post your reviews here in this thread. Discussion is welcome in this thread as well, I think that worked well last month.

I am excited to see how it goes this month!


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## BrewShooter (Mar 17, 2011)

Okay, I'll lead off, but I've had a bit of a sinus thing the last few days and may not be getting everything there is out of this one:

Tin Aroma and Appearance – Dark brown mottled flake. The aroma is of a raisin or maybe even a little prune like, but no overpowering.

Pack and Smoke – I broke off about a flake and a half and smoked it in a medium bowled pipes. I rubbed out the flake and loaded it using the spiral/vacuum method, check out the James Fox videos on Youtube if you don't know what I'm talking about. It burned fairly well, without too many relights.

Flavor – A bit nondescript initially, not bad not great. It has a deeper/richer flavor than the OGS from last month, maybe like hints of molasses or caramel even, but very subtle at best. Maybe even a toasted bread like note, but again, very subtle. Some flavors developed which were similar to the melanoidins that develop in a decocted beer. I don't get any grassy or hay notes from my sample, which suits my preference. I'm looking for a raisin note, that fits the smell, but I'm not picking it up.

Overall – The longer I smoked, the more I liked it. I wasn't initially blown away by LNF, but can see it being one of those things I just keep smoking and then one day I find out I can't stop smoking it, time will tell.


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## Nick S. (Jul 10, 2011)

Peter Stokkebye - Luxury Navy Flake
Tobacco description_ "Very mature Old Belt flue-cured Virginia's spiced with Louisiana Perique." _

















In The Tin/Pouch
These medium to light brown flakes are about the size of the Orlik flakes, or double the width of the Peterson flakes and half the thickness. The aroma I get from this tobacco is almost a herbal aroma, it is a very bright aroma that has a sharp spiciness to it. The moisture level of mine seemed to be just right, which is good news for me because I do hate waiting for a tobacco to dry.

The Burn
I rubbed this out, as I usually do with my flakes, and it actually rubs out quite easily. It is about the same density LTF, and Orlik Golden sliced so it only makes sense that it rubs out just as easily. This tobacco lights very easily after a charring light and a quick tamp to settle everything down. It burns nice and cool, but I suppose that has more to do with the smoker than the tobacco. However, I did not have any moisture issues aside from about a drop in the bottom of the bowl when I was done.

The Smoke
There actually seems to be a lot going on here. First there is a topping on this tobacco, it is the typical Danish topping that is on so many of their tobaccos. It is a bright grassy-like flavor that seems to match the tin note. It also has a bit of a citrus taste to it that is very reminiscent of OGS. The topping seems to be almost totally gone by the second half of the bowl. The perique in definitely there but it is not over powering, its pepperiness is ever-present but never dominant. The Virginias are sweet and smooth with hints of caramel and a toastiness, which I also assume is from the Virginias, that makes this a well-rounded smoke. The smoke was smooth and bite free all the way to the end.

The Packaging, and Price
This bulk tobacco is available from most online tobacco shops. I purchased mine from www.wvsmokeshop.com where they sell it in 1, 4, 8, and 24 ounce increments for $1.95, $6.59, $12.95, and $38.95 respectively.

The Bottom Line
I wasn't sure what to think of it at first, but the more I smoke it the more it has grown on me. I think it is good enough to be one of the tobaccos I keep around, but maybe not quite good enough to be a tobacco I would smoke regularly. That, however, could change as I like it more and more with every smoke. It does remind me a bit of Orlik Golden Sliced, except it does have a more pronounced dose of perique. I think for its price this is a very good tobacco, in fact because of its price I find myself thinking higher of it than I would if it were an expensive tinned tobacco. I am not trying to diminish it at all, I guess I am saying I think it out performs its price class.


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## RJpuffs (Jan 27, 2008)

(Another) great review! I like LNF, its good to have a few jars put away. Yes, it does improve with age, currently I have one I think a year or so old and it does have more "depth", if thats the word. The flavor is reminiscent (to me) of Escudo, not exactly but I like to smoke this blend in an Escudo dedicated pipe - the ghost of Escudo past enhances the LNF, so it makes for a good way to stretch those precious "coins". Although, I do get bored with LNF periodically, perhaps because it comes in these ginormous 24oz boxes and I tend to over-smoke it. Reliable, predictable, consistent - a good one to reach for when you're not exactly sure what you are in the mood to smoke. Great burn, great flavor, great price - if it wore a skirt I may marry it


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

I had to dig a little to find this jar of LNF, but here it is! Went to the tobaccocellar to move it to open status and found that I had failed to keep my cellar up to date. I was planning on some *Ennerdale*, but got the itch to do this review, so here we are then! This jar is 10 months old, so it has a trifle of age to it. I haven't smoked any since last spring, so it's a real delight to fire up an old favorite.

Of the three Lux flakes, this is certainly my favorite. I wish all flakes were this nice, thin cut, since it burns so easily and beautifully, practically any way you choose to prepare it. As one of the great musketball tobaccos, that's how I've chosen to smoke it this morning, although I've filled the bowl with it every way I know how to in the past. This is the poor man's Escudo. And not many notches below that, either! The aroma in the jar is fresh and clean, with a hint of citrus to it, reminiscent of its cousin, Luxury Twist Flake; not so pronounced as LTF, but oddly similar.

Once alight, it does not go out, burning clean to the bottom of the bowl. The thin threads are perfectly sized for optimum burn. It never bites as long as you don't rattle its cage, either. The hint of perique shouldn't trouble anybody, merely adding a little peppery taste but not so strong as to be in the "snorky" world of perique blends. The smoke is never acrid at all, at least not at the moisture level I smoke it, which is pretty much as it comes fresh. Once again, the optimal strand size precludes any necessity to dry it out.

It's quite light in the nicotine department, but its sweet taste and friendly smoking qualities make it a real winner for an all around pleasant smoke. Not a long smoke in this Mayfair prince, about half an hour, but very, very enjoyable. With the memory of OGS still fresh from the last review, it's a tough choice between the two, but I'm leaning toward the LNF for my next order instead. They are similar enough to where I don't really need both and the LNF comes in bulk. At its price level, you cannot go wrong with Luxury Navy Flake. Definitely need to get some more of this!

I fired up the prince a little before starting this review -- 33 minutes. To me, a half an hour with one tobacco is just about ideal, and the fine white ash reveals that I've been smoking some very fine leaf indeed!


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## Nick S. (Jul 10, 2011)

_"The aroma in the jar is fresh and clean"_

That's it, I was trying to figure out how to say that... I guess "bright" was the best I could come up with... and I agree it does have a slight similar smell to LTF... I think it is whatever topping they put on danish tobaccos, they all seem to have that same quality to them...

This one seems to really grow on you...

Great review Jim!


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## gahdzila (Apr 29, 2010)

As usual, I've not read any reviews before smoking.

Try though I may, I just can't seem to like this stuff. I've tried folding and stuffing, dicing and packing, rubbing out. I've tried it in briar, cob, and clay. I've tried it right out of the bag, and with up to an hour to dry.

LNF is presented as very attractive, very neat and clean golden brown flakes. I got mine from Smoking Pipes...I only ordered 1 ounce, but they sent a ziplock bag with 1.8 ounces according to my scale. There's one way to lure in a repeat customer! The smell in the bag is kinda plain (though not unappetizing)...just a little whiff of straight tobacco smell with what seems to my nose to be a very faint topping of rum.

In the pipe, it lights easily and burns down nice and dry. I got a hint of gurgle only once, and that was right out of the bag, zero drying time, folded and stuffed in a cob. It only took a minimal amount of drying time in subsequent bowls to make it gurgle-free, and it's just fine right out of the bag in a clay.

So it looks good, smells good, and burns good....what's the problem? For one, LNF seems to me to be completely devoid of nicotine. I've had a cold and haven't smoked in two days, so I thought I would try LNF now and see if I got anything....nope. Nada. Zip. Least amount of nicotine I've ever gotten from a non-aro that I can recall. I'm sure that might be a plus for some, but it's a definite minus in my book.

Secondly - taste. I don't find it unpleasant per se, but it is rather boring. I taste a hint of sweetness, maybe a little of that rum if I reach for it, and spicy pepper. The spicy pepper is big bold and WAY out of proportion. One dimensional, not at all complex, no change as I smoke it down. Mouthfeel of the smoke is thin and flat. And it bites my tongue unless I'm very careful.

I think my review made it sound like I hated the stuff, but I really didn't. I think it's pretty decent baccy, and the price can't be beat. It's just not my cup of tea.


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## DanR (Nov 27, 2010)

I guess since we are three weeks into the month, I'd better get this review posted. 

I really like this tobacco, and it's been a part of my cellar since day one, but it's never been one of those smokes that I crave. Usually, I end up smoking LNF when I am not sure what else I might be in the mood for. This month was no exception, and that is why I'm so late with this review. I just kept finding other things I'd rather smoke. 

All that being said, this is my second favorite of the three tobaccos in the Stokkebye Luxury Series, with Luxury Twist being first for me. Visually, the flakes of this tobacco remind me of OGS, with strands of light and medium brown tobaccos running the length of the flakes. The flakes also hold together well, which makes it easy to fold and stuff this tobacco (although rubbing it out works well too). 

The "tin" aroma reminds me of standing in a giant field of hay (or wheat, or something). The hay notes seem really fresh and pleasant. I am smoking this outside in the garden, and everything is still wet from last night's rain, so the fresh smell from the tobacco and the fresh morning air are complementing each other nicely.

Upon first light, I get a giant blast of the grassy flavors again, mixed with a lot of natural tobacco sweetness. As the bowl progresses, it changes character slightly, giving off a nice peppery spiciness. The sweetness is still dominant and the two flavors mingle together very well. To me, it feels like there is a touch of vanilla in there somewhere, but it is not prominent. I wonder if that could be my interpretation of caramel or perhaps the Danish topping that others have mentioned? Whatever it is, it seems to peek it's head in from time to time, and then disappear just as fast. Since I am drinking sweetened coffee as I smoke this, I presume that has some influence on the flavor as well.

All in all, this is a very enjoyable smoke, and I have yet to be disappointed by it. However, in the Luxury line LTF is still my favorite!


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## gahdzila (Apr 29, 2010)

Revisiting this tonight. Just a pinch in my tiny 4" clay before bed.

I'm not getting so much pepper tonight, but it's still there (maybe I was puffing too hard before). I'm picking up a bit more flavor this go around...sweet and toasty, something like molasses. Not a lot, but more than I remember from my last go around. It's a pleasant flavor, but I still feel like I want a pipe when I finish the bowl LOL. It just doesn't satisfy me. Maybe I should try blending it with 5 Brothers or Tambolaka ipe:


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